


Contagious

by DashFlintceschi



Series: Illnesses/Disabilities Alphabet Challenge [8]
Category: You Me At Six
Genre: Dan being an awkward bastard, Dan sighs a lot, Gay Sex, HIV, Josh being a bit of a bitch, M/M, Max gets an eyeful
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-04-28
Updated: 2014-04-28
Packaged: 2018-01-21 03:10:36
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,594
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1535393
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/DashFlintceschi/pseuds/DashFlintceschi
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Approved sequel of tgrsndshrks oneshot Bareback. Only more angsty, 'cause I'm cool like that.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Contagious

**Author's Note:**

  * Inspired by [bareback](https://archiveofourown.org/works/642346) by [tgrsndshrks](https://archiveofourown.org/users/tgrsndshrks/pseuds/tgrsndshrks). 



> For some reason, I read Bareback for the ninth time or so, and my brain decided 'they should get HIV', so once tgrsndshrks gave me permission, this happened. I did a stupid amount of research for this, and I think it's safe to say that between this, and some other questionable Google searches, I am now officially on a list somewhere.

When Dan hears those words, he feels sick. Well, more sick than he already did. He gapes at the doctor in shock as the words repeat in his head, a distant, echo-y quality to them. HIV positive. Low CD4 cell count. Best to start treatment immediately. Finally, he finds his voice.

“B-but… I’m always safe. Always,” he insists, his voice wavering, and the doctor gives him a sympathetic look.

“It only takes one accident, one broken condom,” he insists, and Dan’s mind shoots to Josh. They had sex when they were in LA, and he’d gone bareback.

“What are the chances of me giving it to someone else if I bottom?” He asks softly, and the doctor mulls it over for a minute.

“I assume this isn’t a hypothetical?” He asks, and when Dan confirms, he continues. “Well, you weren’t being treated at the time, so your viral load would’ve been extremely high, and recent research has shown that uncircumcised men are at a higher risk of infection, due to cells in the foreskin that bind more easily to HIV, so there is a very large chance that you may have accidentally infected him, even more so if he’s uncircumcised.”

Dan has to fight the bile rising in his throat as his doctor starts going through treatment options. He infected Josh. There are no ‘if’s or ‘might have’s in his mind. His idiocy has ruined not only his own life, but Josh’s, too.

When the doctor finishes talking, Dan absently agrees to the suggested treatment, takes the prescriptions and the information about specialist HIV doctors handed to him, and leaves in a daze.

He has no idea how, but he ends up standing at Josh’s front door, his car keys and a bag from the chemist in his hand, and Josh standing staring at him worriedly. Without a word, Josh grips Dan’s elbow and leads him into the house. 

When he sees the rest of his band mates sitting in the living room, giving him equally worried looks, Dan considers asking Josh to talk privately, but he figures they’ll find out soon enough anyway, and squishes onto the couch beside Max.

Once Josh has made tea and sits down, they all look at Dan expectantly. He takes a few gulps of tea to waste time, but then he takes a good look at the innocent, concerned look on Josh’s face, and all he can do is sit his mug on the floor, drop his head into his hands and start sobbing desolately.

Within seconds, he’s surrounded by his band mates, all holding on to whatever part of him they can reach, shushing and cooing and asking what’s wrong. He hears his mug being kicked over, but no-one seems to care, or notice. Dan can’t blame them, none of them have seen him cry since his dad’s funeral. Even then, he didn’t break down like this. 

Finally, after almost an hour, he manages to calm down. When he looks up at the others, they look heartbroken and desperate.

“Do you think you can tell us what’s wrong now?” Max asks softly, running his fingers through Dan’s hair and looking slightly more relaxed now that Dan’s calmed down. That doesn’t last long, once Dan opens his mouth.

“I have HIV.” 

No-one says a word for what feels like an age, and Dan risks peeking at Josh from the corner of his eye. He’s gone deathly pale, clearly joining up the same dots Dan had.

“But, you’re always careful. You promised us you were always careful,” Matt insists, sounding slightly angry. Dan is about to swear that he was always careful, when it finally hits him.

“There was only one time I wasn’t. I gave a guy head when we were in LA, he didn’t warn me that he was about to come, so when he did, it took me by surprise so much that I swallowed without thinking.”

Josh breaks the silence that follows, his voice soft and deadly.

“You gave me HIV because you ‘swallowed without thinking’? Are you fucking serious?!” The other three all gape at Josh in surprise as Dan hangs his head. 

“I never would have done it if I’d known. Surely, you know that?” He whispers, but Josh just scoffs angrily.

“Get the fuck out of my house.” 

Dan stares at him in shock for a few seconds, but Josh continues to glare at him expectantly, until he gets up and leaves, his eyes on the floor as he fights back yet more tears.

Several months pass before Josh speaks to Dan again. Dan finds out from Chris that Josh tested positive, and that he announces at least once a week that if he ever sees Dan again, he’ll kill him.

They decide as a band to take a few months off, for Dan to get his health in check, and for both of them to come to terms with everything. Once Dan gets his medication sorted, and his health improves, they decide to meet up to talk about touring. Dan’s dreading it, terrified of what Josh will say to him. It’s been eleven weeks, almost three months, since they last spoke. He knows from Chris’ weekly updates that Josh has gone from ranting daily to not even mentioning him, which Dan prays is a good sign, but he’s pretty sure it isn’t.

Matt texts him on a Friday morning, asking if he can meet them at the nearest Starbucks in an hour. Dan hesitates for a few seconds, and almost chickens out, before quickly typing _sure, see you then_ , and sending it before he can change his mind.

Dan thinks about making himself presentable, but decides he has neither the energy nor the inclination, so when he walks into Starbucks, he doesn’t blame his friends for the looks they give him. His hair is greasy and his roots are coming through; his face is pallid beneath several days worth of scruff; the hoodie he’s wearing is faded, worn and has several noticeable holes in it; the joggers are baggy, splattered with paint and god only knows what else; and the trainers, well, Max is pretty sure those were the trainers Dan was wearing the first time he met Dan almost a decade ago, and he has no idea how they haven’t fallen apart yet, though he’s almost positive that several parts have fallen off already.

He goes to walk over to the counter to order, but Matt waves to get his attention and holds up his usual, a grande chocolate frappuccino with shots of caramel and an obscene amount of whipped cream. Dan smiles gratefully as he drops down into the last empty seat at the table and takes his cup from Matt.

Dan desperately wants to look at Josh, but he’s too scared. Instead, he clears his throat awkwardly and watches his hands as they play with his straw.

“So, how’ve you guys been?” He asks quietly, and Max snorts.

“Clearly a hell of a lot better than you,” he replies, not unkindly, Dan knows it’s just Max’s way of showing concern.

“Yeah, I got hit pretty hard with the flu a couple of weeks ago. I just got out of the hospital on Wednesday, this is the first time I’ve been anywhere that wasn’t the couch or my bed since then,” he attempts to reassure, but it just makes Max confused and more worried.

“The hospital? Why the fuck were you in the hospital with the flu?” He asks quickly, and Dan freezes as he hears Josh snort.

“Because he has HIV, dickhead. Him having the flu is like you having the plague or something. It could have killed him,” Josh informs him, and Dan’s heart starts to race as he feels Josh’s eyes on him. “You alright now?” He asks quietly, and Dan finally manages to face him.

“Mostly, still feel like shit, and a bastard of a cough, but not too bad,” he murmurs, almost crying at the lack of hate in Josh’s expression, but also at the neutrality there. Josh has never looked at him with such… Disinterest before.

Everything’s quiet and tense for a few seconds, then Josh sighs and his eyes warm up.

“I’m sorry I freaked out the way I did. Of course I know you wouldn’t give me this on purpose, I was just… Shocked, I guess,” he tells Dan earnestly, and this time, Dan does tear up a little.

“You had every right to react the way you did. It’s my own fault, I shouldn’t have been slagging around the way I was,” Dan insists softly, and Josh sighs resignedly.

“Why don’t we just agree that it’s the bastard that gave you it’s fault, and just not talk about it any more?” Dan nods happily and Matt snorts.

“How about we talk about the fact that you two shagged in the pool?” He laughs as Max and Chris snigger and Dan blushes as he points an accusatory finger at Josh.

“He started it! The little perv grabbed my arse!” He insists, and Josh scoffs.

“Not on purpose! You kissed me, and you put my hand back on your arse, it was your fault!” He argues, and they end up arguing back and forth about who’s fault it was for twenty minutes while the other three laugh at them.

Things go back to normal after that. The five of them go back to talking every day and practically living at each other’s flats and Josh’s parents house, Josh has to go on medication and Dan helps him figure out the best combination and shows him little tricks for making sure he’s taken them every day. Dan gets floored by a cold that quickly turns into pneumonia, and the four of them rally round him, making sure he’s never by himself and working together to nurse him back to health.

They’re on tour when it happens. Josh and Dan are sitting in the back room of the bus watching The Inbetweeners, and Josh keeps wriggling and whining under his breath. Dan decides he’s had enough and pauses the TV, turning to Josh with an irritated huff.

“What the fuck is wrong with you?” He asks, slightly sharper than he intends. Josh looks at him with big, embarrassed doe eyes, and Dan sighs.

“I’m fucking horny, alright? I refuse to fuck anyone ever again, because I don’t know how I’d live with knowing I’d given this to someone…” He trails off at the hurt look on Dan’s face and sighs, running his hands through his hair and tugging on it slightly. “I didn’t mean it like that. You didn’t know you had it. I meant, I couldn’t shag someone, knowing I have this. No matter how careful I am, I’m pretty sure I’d freak out so much that my dick wouldn’t stand a chance. And there’s absolutely no privacy on this bus, so it’s not like I can have a wank.”

Dan just looks at him for a minute, considering, then slides off the couch onto his knees at Josh’s feet, quickly undoes his jeans and pulls his already rock hard and leaking dick out of his boxers. He leans forward to take him into his mouth, but Josh throws his hand out, catching him by the throat and pushing him back.

“W-what the fuck are you doing?” He stammers, and Dan gives him an unimpressed look.

“I’m giving you head, what the fuck does it look like?” He huffs, sighing when Josh starts chewing on his lip.

“But what about that thing? Um, super infection, I think it’s called,” he worries, and Dan sighs.

“We don’t need to worry about that, it only happens when it’s people with two different strains, but not only do we have the same strain, I’m the one that gave you it in the first place, now can I please suck you off?” He explains, reaching for Josh’s cock again.

Josh grabs his wrist though, looking at him apprehensively.

“In that case, can I fuck you instead?” He asks softly, and Dan’s face lights up.

“I thought you’d never ask, darling,” he jokes, quickly getting to his feet and rushing off towards the bunks. Josh is just starting to get worried when Dan reappears with a bottle of lube in his hand.

Dan quickly strips of and lubes up his fingers, easing them in as he throws the bottle to Josh with the other hand. By the time he’s done, he’s hard and panting. He closes the space between them and drops down onto Josh’s lap, grabbing the base of his cock and easing onto it.

His head drops back, his eyes closed and his mouth hanging open as he gets all the way down, Josh gripping his hips hard enough to bruise as he groans quietly. Dan takes a minute to get adjusted, then starts rocking his hips slowly, arching his back as he whines softly.

Dan had remembered how big Josh is, but apparently he’s kind of forgotten how good it felt, and it’s that good big, not too big, just the perfect length and width, and then Josh is using his grip on Dan’s hips to bounce him on his cock slightly and Jesus Christ why is Dan thinking right now?

Dan lets out a low groan and takes Josh’s hint, lifting himself until just the head is still inside him and dropping back down hard. He keeps this up, groaning desperately and shifting his hips every few seconds until he finds it, almost screaming as he drops back down and rams Josh’s cock into his prostate.

He keeps slamming down onto his prostate as hard as he can, moaning loudly. He hears the lid on the bottle of lube click, and then Josh’s hand is on his cock, squeezing tight and moving fast. He’s almost delirious now, crying out wordlessly as the heat pools in his stomach. 

He hears Josh let out a high pitched, desperate moan, then his hips jerk up and his cum is filling Dan. Between the feeling of being filled and the speed of Josh’s hand, it only takes a few seconds and Dan is cumming in thick ropes across Josh’s stomach. 

He rides it out, then slumps against Josh, struggling for breath and trying to think straight again. After a while, he feels Josh’s hand on his back, and his chin resting against the top of his head.

“We really can’t make each other any more sick?” He asks softly, and Dan hums in conformation.

“Then I think we should do this more often. Why risk infecting anyone else, when we can just fuck each other and not have to worry?” He reasons, and Dan nods.

“Makes sense, plus, you’re one hell of a shag,” he jokes quietly, smiling when he feels Josh’s chest rumble with his laughter. The moment’s ruined, though, when the door bangs open and Max makes a noise of disgust.

“Urgh! I did _not_ need to see that!” He shouts, rushing out and slamming the door behind him.

“See, no fucking privacy,” Josh mutters, snorting as Dan laughs softly.

They do exactly as they decided, only fucking each other so they don’t infect anyone else. They go at it several times a week, and almost every time, Max manages to walk in on them. And when they decide to have a proper relationship instead of just shagging, Max swears he knew it was going to happen all along, not that anyone actually believes him.


End file.
